I've got the same big hopes for the Sharks this year. All things point to them having all the right pieces...finally, but only time will tell. They sure looked good last night thoroughly dismantling the Ducks. Good to see Cheechoo start out strong, and Nabokov, well, he should've won the Vezina last year, and he looked like he wanted to make a point.

A buddy of mine at work has tickets up against the glass for tonight's Stars game and he needed someone to go with him. So, if you're in Minnesota and happen to be watching the game, look for me on the TV.

I'm perfectly aware how early it is in the season, but I'm getting more and more excited every time I watch the Sharks play. Last week, I was utterly shocked at how they quieted the Pens (limiting them to only 11 shots...for the entire game), then a few days later clearly dominated the Wings. And last night, after a couple periods of even skating, just took control in the third and bounced the Wild. All three teams are quality, and the way the Sharks have played them has just impressed the hell out of me. They're skating fast, creating shots out of thin air, suffocating opponents and dropping the gloves when needed...all things they really haven't done in years past.

The only thing that tempers my optimism is that it's so damn early in the season.

I've already got tickets for the 12/2 game vs. the Leafs, but I really need to go sooner and more often.

The Avs have been on a roll lately. I've unfortunately missed the last couple games but they are looking good tonight. They are taking too many penalties but they are doing a great job killing them off. The penalty kill was really hurting them earlier this year, so it is good to see that turning around.

Hey Jesse, do you know the story behind the Pen's baby blues? They are some goofy looking uniforms.

That's our original uniforms actually when the team was formed which, I think, was either 67 or 69? Memory's a bit fuzzy on the year, but we were in blues at the time. They also wore them last year for the Winter Classic...

I've had a blue Penguins jersey since the early 90's. At the time, it was a real novelty... The Penguine on the chest changed from a more fat bottomed Penguin to the "Rampan Penguin" they use now. The Pens changed from blue to black because of the other teams in town. We're either one of, or are the actual only city where all our sports teams wear the same colors. A bit of a novelty there.

They went to black then, and then Yellow in the 80's (85 or 86 I'm thinking) but that lasted for no time. Then they were the classic black and gold through 1992 but then in the next couple years they went to the "modern" Penguin they still wear on the shoulders of their uniforms with the Rampant Penguin on the chest... I hated the (now old) "modern" Penguin. Their new sweaters are sweet... I like the blue. Now though, everyone has blue... I was a novelty for a couple decades though, with my sweater. Mine's also made of a better quality than most of the retro jerseys I've seen on people since the Winter Classic last year.

I hate the Leafs now. ####ers traded Steen and carlo(injury boy) away to the Blues for some stemp-on-my-nik kid. I can live with them getting rid of carlo as I never liked him although his girlfriend was a teacher at my high school and she was quite good looking but thats a different story. But Steen!!!!!!! man he was one of our top forwards maybe not on the scoreboard but he was always working deep. oh but the guy we got from the Blue is having a great season and led his team in goals the season before..just like oh yeah Jason Blake...look at him now!!!! If they ever trade Stajan away then all hell will break loose and there will be no way for me to put up with them again.

Logged

School has been on strike all month. so much for the summer job I was hoping to get D:

Went to my first game of the season tonight... Wild 4, Washington 3 (it was 4-0 with 7min to go in the 3rd when Ovechkin decided to make it interesting ).

After going to this game (and watching the Wild/Penguins game on TV a while back), I have to admit that I reeeeaaaaaally wish we had an Ovechkin/Malkin/Semin/Crosby on our squad. They keep telling us that Gaborik is our "big name" guy, but after seeing some of these elite Eastern guys over the last few weeks, I'm so ready for them to finally let Gabby go.

Finally got out of the house to the Arena to take in a Sharks game last night. That's one scary-good team. Four goals in the first, then they just sort of set the cruise control and waited for the game to finish at 5-2. They are quick as lightning, big as anything and their defense just swarms and suffocates. I heard that with last night's win they'd tied the 1944-45 Canadiens for the best start after 25 games (43 points). Still, it's not the playoffs, but it's fun to watch. Now I just need to get out to see more games.

It depends... This is one of those things where I agree that it's off-the-ice antics and by hitting him with a fine/suspension you're really sort of going outside work now, and about something that didn't hurt/harm anybody as near as I can tell. That said, as an organization, I know I wouldn't want Sean Avery in my locker room... Not at the start or end of the season. I think he's a trashy guy. I feel similarly about him as I do Marty McSorely or any other myriad of players I've just never cared for.

At the same time, and few Penguins really commented on it so it was tough to get a remark/opinion around here from the pros, but Jordan Staal basically said that you are supposedly old/mature enough to know when you're crossing a line, and that Avery is the only guy who ever needs told by everyone, "you crossed the line". I agree with that.... He's like the annoying ******* on any given reality show. Since the people he's agitating can't really get back at him for what he said, I'm sorta glad he got suspended. My only thought against the suspension is that it's a limit of someone's personal freedom of speech... Still though, my own job holds me to certain standards outside the workplace... So why shouldn't everyone else deal with that, especially if they're a pro athlete? I guess my ultimately opinion is I agree it's something he deserved and got, but I know what the other camp is getting at for sure.

Crosby's been a holy terror of late... A hat trick the other night, now a 4 point night setting up everyone else... Semin made some remarks, but if he can't see the greatness at this point, he is simply pissed off he didn't land on a good team.